Merry Christmas from Crossroads
by moulinrye
Summary: Spend a holiday with the residents of Crossroads mall! Monica plans a party for Christmas while others in the mall think her plans are for nothing.
1. Merry Christmas from Crossroads

"**Merry Christmas**...**From Crossroads"**

**_Notes:_ After my last batch of Dawn of the Dead fanfics I had a cute idea for a holiday tale from Crossroads mall. I hope you enjoy this one; you will have to use your imagination since they weren't around the mall in December. I guess this is a bit cheesy but who knows lol. I also want to again thank stayhooper (who's fics have me glued to this site! lol) Merry Christmas!**

**A**na watched as Monica ran from one store to the next filling up a wooden basket the sexy blonde had found earlier in one of those beauty stores. Ana always knew Monica was full of life but she wasn't sure what the need for her speed shopping was today.

Walking over to Ana who had been drinking coffee at _Hollowed Grounds_ Terry laughed. "What's up with her?" he asked. "Not sure," Ana said taking a sip of her fresh made coffee. "I think the cold weather has gotten to her." Terry laughed again over Ana's comment before leaving to find Nicole.

Monica came back from her "shopping" an hour later full of green and red colored papers in her hair and a tried look on her face. "What happened to you?" Ana asked seeing how disorganized the blonde sexpot looked. Monica took a seat on a stool around small cafe and put her head down "Ah! I was in the storerooms digging out the Christmas stocks in the back of the stores." She said. _Christmas stuff? Why would she do that?_ Ana asked herself. Then it came to her, it was late December! Was Monica trying to get in the holiday mood? "You dug in storerooms? Somehow that seems so unlike you..." Ana commented trying to figure out the other woman. "Yeah, I have a thing for Christmas," Monica said with a smile. "Plus I think we could _all_ use some holiday cheer in our lives!"

Never seeing Monica so cheerful and willing to work up a sweat, Ana smiled and let her continue telling her about what she found and what she didn't. "The good thing is I found a tree!" Monica said with sparking eyes. "But I couldn't find ornaments in any store. I guess they didn't have everything stored away...but-" Monica was cut her off by Ana "But you came up with a plan for that?" Ana asked her. "Yeah kind of...what do you think of earrings and key chains and stuff? Kind of ghetto but it could work."

"That will work" Ana said standing up from her seat at the counter. "I'll leave you to plan and stuff...if you need any help let me know, okay?" she told the other woman. Monica smiled and started to curl her hair "Thanks hun Ill take you up on that. But hey don't tell everyone okay? I want them to be surprised." Shaking her head _yes_ Ana agreed and left to finish a book she started the other night in _Book Mark_ the malls only book store. She couldn't stop herself from thinking of how things were last December when her husband Luis was still alive and she went with him shopping at this mall. She could remember the people walking inside it looking at the newest fashions in store windows, children running around looking for toys, and the heavy coats and scarves everyone wore in the cold weather. All was peaceful and joyful... and Ana didn't blame Monica for trying to bring those feelings back to their small group, in fact she wanted to see it come true.

"What are you reading?" A voice asked Ana as she jumped, scared by the voice. "Sorry to scare you" it was Michael. "No its okay. I was just thinking of last Christmas..." she told him. "Whys that?" he asked talking a seat next to her. "Well you may not remember but its in a few days and -don't tell- but Monica wants to celebrate it as a surprise" Ana told the handsome man she came to trust, knowing fully he wouldn't spoil Monica's "secret." At first he didn't respond. Ana guessed he was as shocked as she was that it was December already and almost the 25th!

"Oh" he said with a smile. "Just oh?" Ana asked with her own grin. "I had a job here as Santa Clause one year" Michael told her. Ana broke out with a laugh "Really?" she asked. She tried to stop her laughing outburst, but couldn't with the thought of Michael dressed as the jolly old man. "I loved the job because I love kids...their always thinking." He said now laughing with her. "Just like you" Ana told him. He let out a small nervous laugh at her comment. The nurse knew he would do things like that whenever someone would say "Good work Michael" or "Good idea...why didn't I think of that?" she found his embarrassment cute, but didn't express any of it to him, or anyone else for that matter. "Anyways Monica's party is good idea for everyone to unwind and be together" Michael picked up their conversation again.

Making a face, Ana joked. "If that's a good idea...together with Steve for to long can get on your nerves a bit!"

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**T**he next day at dinner Monica stood up and waited for everyone's attention. "Excuse me I have something to say!" she told the small group who sat around a table eating dinner. Ana figured Monica wanted to tell them her X-Mas plans and she was right. "Many of you have been asking what I've been doing the past few days... and what im doing is putting together a Christmas party thing for us!" she told them, glowing with a huge smile.

There wasn't a word from the group. Everyone was silent, and then they all started to look at each other and chatted about what Monica had just told them. "Well?" she asked. "What do you think?" Steve laughed and spoke up. "Guess your plans were for nothing, who the hell wants to have a party when there are fucking dead people outside" He took a drink of whine and laughed again.

Monica was stunned...no one said anything positive about her hard work...not even Norma who she thought of as a friend. And now that asshole Steve made her feel like a five year old. Tears built up in her eyes but she wasn't going to let them fall. She never wanted anyone to see her cry! And to think she wanted to change things with the others, make them see she was a nice person...but nice girls always lose "Fuck you Steve!" she told him spinning around, about to leave.

"I think it's a great idea..." a voice said from the table she just turned to leave. She pushed back her tears and turned back to see Michael smiling at her kindly. "We all need a break. Thanks for doing it Monica." he told her. Following his lead, Ana added. "Yeah and that idea you told me about with the key chain ornaments? I found some for you at the card shop" _Are they just being nice?_ Monica asked herself. Even if they were she wanted a Christmas, and she was going to give herself one! "Really? Thanks hun" she told Ana with a small smile trying to mask her unhappiness.

"I'm excited" Nicole told Monica. "Me too!" Terry side more to Nicole then anyone else. "Did you hear that Chips? Were having Christmas!" Nicole told her friendly dog. Chips barked when she told him the news. "Guess I have one more person to add to the banquet" Monica said with a laugh. Chips barked again and Nicole scratched his head and gave him a small kiss on the head. "I have a tree." Monica told them.

"We could use some of the string lights from the gift stores window to light it." Michael sent his idea around the table. "And what about a star or Angel for the top? There was an Angel doll in the baby store, Carousel!" Nicole added. "Great guys! Keep it up!" Monica told them sitting back down with the group.

It was funny... as soon as she told them she had a tree everyone else seemed to think the idea was better. Almost as if the tree made it all the more real to them, more of a real Christmas. Well it helped but not in the case of Steve and Glen. The older, balding Glen didn't believe in God, so therefore didn't celebrate the holiday. "But you worked in a church dude" Monica told him. "I was there to play the organ." he told her. Monica looked over to the end of the table where Steve sits, she guessed to show he was the head of the group, which was so far from the truth, but whatever got his rocks off. He shook his head. "Well Monica baby if you cant see these people are just trying to make you feel better your blind and loose" he told her. "Hey, hey now Steve cut it out" Michael told the dark haired man. Norman gave him a sharp look and told him to leave the discussion if he was not going to keep it positive. So he left in a huff.


	2. December 23rd

December 23rd 

"**O**kay Grab the other end!" Michael told Kenneth as they moved the outsized Christmas tree box out of its storeroom. "I got it man," the large black man told him, picking up more of the slack. "Okay" Michael said. "Now we just have to get it to the center of the mall"

While the two men got the tree, Monica had sent Nicole to find Christmas music from the music store. Now she, Ana and Norma collected key chains, rings, and earrings to serve as makeshift ornaments. "Oh I like this for myself!" Monica told the women as she slipped on a gold ring. "Got to add this bling to my collection after the holidays!" they all laughed and waited until they saw Michael and Kenneth come into view with the tree.

"You got it? Great! Like put it down over here." Monica told them gesturing towards where she stood as both men dropped the box. "Enjoy it" Kenneth said before leaving for the roof. They all guessed it was to talk with Andy who was stuck in the gun shop across the street, between the sea of flesh hungry zombies.

"Monica!" Nicole yelled out running to meet the blonde. "I found one! I found a Christmas album!" she said stopping and out of breath. Nicole handed Monica the CD, and she looked it over. It was called _Classic Christmas_ and had 12 classic tunes on it. "This will be perfect! Thanks babe" she told the cute red head. "Glad I could help...oh," Nicole started seeing the box "the trees here!"

Michael walked over from it and laughed. "If we can get it up...anyone here ever put one together?" he asked. Ana looked at Norma "I always had real ones" the truck driver said. "Same here" Ana told him. "Well it shouldn't be that much of a problem there is instructions for it" Michael told them. "You guys can work on something else... I got this" With that they went to plan a holiday menus of sorts, of what food they could put together that was special, and not the same old burgers they had been making.

During this time Monica slipped out to find Steve in his apartment, aka the electronic store he took over as his own. He was lying out on a sofa, dressed down in a robe and was sipping a cappuccino from a stripped red and white cup. "Hey Steve!" Monica called out. "Hey babe...still working on your plans?" he asked not looking at her. _Was he being nicer about it? Heck maybe she got to him._ "Yeah!" she said excited taking a seat on his lap. "Well," he started turning on the TV in front of him to see black and white fuzz on screen. Let me know when there done, and we can go back to our routine fuck, kay?" That cut Monica like a knife.

"What is wrong with YOU!" she screamed hitting the hand controller out from his hand. It was the first time she had talked above her normal valley girl speaking voice. It even stopped Steve from saying a word. "What are you fucking _Scrooge_? Is that it!" she asked violently. "Can you not be an ass for one day!?" Monica walked out and slammed the store door closed behind her.

"Bah. Humbug." He said getting a laugh out of himself. He closed his eyes and smiled at what had just happened and he got a kick out of Monica's outburst. What did she want from him? Him to sport a Santa suit, sit and sing the songs of the Christmas pasted and pretend to give a shit? Hah that wasn't Steve not today or the next day!


	3. December 24th

**December 24th**

"**I** think it's done..." Michael said looking over the papers he used to put the tree together. It was a fine looking tree to Ana. It had took the poor guy all night to unbend each stem out so they could look full and natural (being stuck inside a box all year long,) and place it round the long pole that shot up from the ground. "Looks wonderful" Ana told him.

The salesmen smiled and took pride in the green tree in front of him. "Thanks!" he told her. "Now to dress it!" Monica said bringing in a ladder with Nicole and Terry. "To bad Andre makes Luda stay cooped up in that store all day to rest" Monica said to the group as they set the metal ladder up by the tree and started to string the red lights Michael thought to use. "Yeah it would be nice for her to see." Nicole supposed as she got to the very top of the ladder to put an angel atop it when she started to shake.

"Watch it Nicole, be careful" Terry told her holding the ladder at the bottom to support his lady friend. Nicole looked down and smiled. "Oh Terry your such a worrier" they both laughed and she was able to get the angel where it should be. But she shook the ladder again trying to come down.

In a flash, Nicole and the ladder feel down and she was on the floor grabbing her leg in tears. "Oh Terry...my leg!" she cried. Ana who was watching ran over to take a look at the damage. "Its going to be okay Nicole, don't worry im going to take a look at her leg." Ana told her. Right behind her came Michael and Monica. "What can we do?" Terry asked. "Just hold her hand" Ana told the young man. Terry smiled at Nicole and took hold of her hand. "It will be okay." he told her again. "You will be..." Ana started pausing to check the girl's leg. "But...I think your leg is broken."

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Back in the electronics store Steve opened his eyes to see a group of blocky shadows moving against the far wall in front of him. At first he wasn't sure what to make of them, could be those damn lovebirds Nicole and Terry (Who names their son that?) darn teens! 

"Hello? What is it you all? What did Monica make you sing damn Christmas chorals now?" he called out to the shadows.

But no...there was more then two and these things were creeping on him... stalking their prey! He had seen it many times hunting in the fields of Africa. Shooting animals was this things, a rich mans got to right? To his horror it wasn't the group of the mall, it was of the group outside trying, clawing to get in each day. Zombies! Ones that were now running towards him with hungry, shrieking moans and foaming months!

They started to rip at his body. They were tearing his flesh clean off his chest! He couldn't move, the pain was so excruciating he prayed it would end soon, and that he wasn't the only one to have to feel it...he wanted them all to die like he did! "Fuck!" He screamed as one, a female took out his liver and lifted it up to look at it, right before she flung it to her teeth and started to devour it. Staves eyes bugged out of his head before everything went black...

"_Hahaha!"_

"_Yeah this is good!"_

"Sure is!" 

_Was that laughing he heard?_ Wait was he really just attacked? Could he be in Heaven? Hah that even gave him a laugh, Hell was more like the place he was headed. But this place didn't sound like hell...and when everything cleared from the darkness it didn't look like hell...it was the center of Crossroads! _Well it could be hell sometimes when that salesman comes up with a plan, or the nurse pulls that moral bullshit she loved to spray out all day!_ But no this wasn't hell... it wasn't HELL! But what the hell, _no pun intended_ just happened?

The group was all eating dinner close by a rather large green tree, and a row of stockings hung from the counter of _Hollowed Grounds_. He looked it all over and smirked. Monica didn't do such a bad job on it. It almost felt like Christmas. Ah what the hell! He was hungry and he evidently had a fucking nightmare due to Monica's constant bitching, and was fine now.

"_Its kind of sad" _

_Michael said full from his meal._

"_What is?" Kenneth asked still picking on a stake Norma cooked up. _

"_Steve..." Michael started. I cant believes those things got in and we didn't hear it! I knew we should have fortified this place a bit better" _

"_Well I for one wont miss him..." Ana told them all. Everyone there seemed to nod in agreement! Those assholes! Steve thought. Well all but Monica who didn't look up when they brought up his name. "I mean what's to miss?" the nurse asked. "His ego got in the way of what might have been a good person inside...deep, deep inside!" _

_That hurt him a bit...he for sure wasn't THAT bad of an asshole!_

"Upset?" A friendly voice asked. Whoever it was came right to his side and stood in alignment to him. Steve turned to see that girl's dad! Frank next to him!

"What the fuck! Your-"

"Dead?" Frank asked with a small smile. He turned his glance over to the young Nicole. His daughter.

"I don't understand I heard you being shot in the head! This isn't right!" Steve told him. Frank now stood face to face with him. "Nothing is Steve," he told him. "Yeah well that's not obvious with the dead walking and all" Steve said moaning to the dead...or not so dead Frank. "I mean your not here either" he told him. Steve rolled his eyes a bit. "Say what Casper?"

Frank shook his head. "Your not here...go on call to them." _Steve wasn't going to do that..._ "Why?" he asked. "Don't you want to prove if im not so wrong?" Frank questioned him. "Nah" Steve told him.

"_Yeah well anyways thanks again for this Monica, it was great for all of us" Ana smiled and told the girl._

"_Oh...yeah thanks glad you liked It." the always lively Monica spoke low and frail like. _

"I'm done with this" Steve said ready to walk away. "You cant Steve this is your life!" Frank told him. Now taking his eyes off Steve and back to the party, and Nicole. "You are lucky enough to still have one...to have a chance even if it's a small one to see the people who are in your life one more day."

Steve could tell the man was longing to hold his daughter, and he wasn't sure how this all added up to him. "Steve don't be a fool and waste what _little time_ you may have left...because when you do indeed pass you wont have it so easy!"

Everyone was gone now, blank...Frank gave him a smile and flashed into the darkness that was overtaking him once more. "Wait!" he called out.

He was back on his sofa. The Zombies were ripping at him again, blood falling out his center like a shower. _Ahhhhhhhhhhh God!_ He screamed into the darkness.

And then everything was silent... 


	4. December 25th

**December 25th**

**Notes: So this is the end of my Christmas Story. Thank you Stayhooper for your lovely reviews and thank you everyone who checks it out! Enjoy!**

"**A**nd what the hell do you want?" The security guard asked as he saw Monica come into view, behind the cell bars.

"CJ?" Right she asked. "Yeah that's me." CJ told her. "And I'm Bart honey…come to warm us up a bit sweetheart?" the smaller, more bug looking man who shared the jail asked. "Ummmm no!" Monica held out her "um" just a bit longer to let them know she was here for one thing, and one thing only.

"Christmas!" she told them. "Christmas is today…and in spirit of the season we are letting you out!" The two men looked at each other not sure what to make of her news. "Ken will be in soon to get you, kay?" Monica said leaving.

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**S**teve opened his eyes to see the fuzz on the TVs again…he was on the sofa but with no zombies around! He looked down and he was a bit wet from what looked like spilt cappuccino. _Was it all a dream? _He then looked at his watch. It was 12:00 O'clock the next day…it was Christmas and he was alive!

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"**O**uch!" Nicole said trying to take a seat at the table Terry guider her to. It had been set with red plates from Metropolis, and candy cans they had found in a small candy shop in the mall. "Oh it looks so pretty Monica!" Nicole cheered happily.

"Awww thanks!" Monica told the girl. "How's the leg?" Nicole made a face "Its…better" she lied trying not to put a damper on the day. "Good! I had been looking for a crutches for her but I didn't come across one yet" Ana told Monica. "Ah you made it" Monica called out to the nurse and Michael who came together. "Wouldn't miss it" Michael told her. At the same time a deeper voice spoke up:

"I got them from the jail" Kenneth called out bring Bart and CJ in holding his shotgun just incase one tried to do something. "Great take a seat guys!" Monica smiled and waved to the table. CJ walked over to the seat Steve usually took at the head of the table. "Oh…just don't sit there," Monica started to say then stopped. "Oh never mind…"

CJ rolled his eyes and took the seat. "Where are you sitting honey?" Bart asked. Monica acting like CJ now rolled her eyes playfully. "Three seats away from where ever you pick hun" she told him. Ana let out a laugh "You can sit next to CJ" she said. "No thanks I stay with him ALL day thanks to some people here!" CJ said.

An hour into the meal Steve walked slowly to the area he had seen in is nightmare…and just like the nightmare it had the tree, and stockings and the table with everyone gathering, eating a lush holiday feast. He was unsure of going towards them but then Monica looked up and saw him watching over them. "Steve?" she asked. Everyone who was there turned to glance at what Monica saw. Steve walked over "Well now that I'm here we can really get this party started!" he shouted. Everyone cheered over his energy and the person happiest was Monica who smiled as bright as the Christmas tree shining besides them. Seeing CJ in his seat Steve was going to tell him to get the hell out but didn't… he looked over to the young one…Nicole and smiled to himself.

Today he wasn't going to be cruel and brutally honest, just cherish each moment. Of course he knew it wouldn't last long before they got on his nerves again but he would deal with that later. Now he wanted to eat and take in the holiday spirit.

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**A**bout six that night Monica in a Santa hat started a song in a low, sexy tone that was very Marilyn Monroe (Ana guessed that was Monica's roll model) Maybe she should be singing, "Diamonds are a girls best friend" other then the slow "jingle bells… jingle bells…Jingle all the way" she was. But Monica looked so sweet and truly happy.

"I'm going to check on Luda" Ana told the others waiting till after the song was over.

"Ana" Michael called out. "Snow!" he pointed to the highest window on the main wall of the shopping mall. Her mouth flew open. Just hearing that word sent a rush of warmth through out them.

Terry hugged Nicole who was sitting down with her broken leg, and they all watched transfixed. Ana took a quick glance at Michael who looked like a kid seeing the first snow fall of his life. And He turned to give her a quick _isn't this great?_ Smile. Monica stood with her arms leaning on Norma and wiped a quick tear from her eye. Even Ken, CJ, Bart and Steve looked amazed at the sight.

They all ran for stairs to go up onto the roof. "I guess I see you guys later" Nicole smiled a bit rubbing her dog's head. "Don't be silly" Michael told her bending down and picking her up in his arms. "Hang on!" he said as Nicole giggled out loud. "Come on Chips!" she called after her dog to follow the group up.

Outside the once scary and unhappy rooftop turned into a winter wonderland of snow that started to cover the tops of every flat surface. Ana couldn't think of a better way to end a Christmas and if only for one night mask all the hell they had been through.

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**M**onica walked over to Steve later that night in the electronics store/bedroom. She has just changed into a (Christmas-red) cashmere robe from _Gaylen Ross _and wanted to surprise him. Everyone had gone to bed other then Norma and Glen who wanted clean up.

"Open your present" she told him taking the tie off from her waist. "Marry Christmas Steve" she told him. He looked up at her and took her down on his lap. "I don't deserve you sometimes." He told her. Monica was taken back by his sincere smile. "I know!" she said. Steve laughed and gave her a loving kiss.

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**O**n the roof the snow came down in thick patches from the above and filled the night sky with white. Kenneth could see Andy was out admiring the snow as the first entertainment he had in a long time. The Cop smiled and started to write a note on a white dry erase board.

He raised it and waited for Andy to notice what he had just written. Picking up his binoculars the gun shop owner smiled. Kenneth had written _Merry Christmas!_ on the board for him. He raised his hand and gave the cop a wave of thanks. "Merry Christmas man…Merry Christmas" Kenneth said again then took another look at the snowy sky for the first time not noticing the growing groups of undead below.


End file.
